The People Speak On Fast Food.

Last week, the topic was fast food joints.

This week, the topic is fast food joints.

Yes, a multi-week treatment on the same topic. Don't try this at home kids, I'm a professional. (Actually, I'm not, but people have paid me for my e-books, which by the way, are still for sale.).

I decided to do what all great media outlets do now: go to social media to see what "the people" think if by "people" you mean those that respond to questions on social media.

I placed this question on my Facebook page: "What’s your favorite fast food restaurant that’s not named Chick-fil-A? Please tell why. Also, your least favorite and why." 

I was genuinely interested in what my Facebook friends favorite fast food restaurants were and I am also convinced Chick-fil-A is the best fast food restaurant around. The reason is simple: their food is great and their help is good.  I've heard complaints about their "forced and insincere" response to thank you ("my pleasure"). I'll take a forced and insincere "my pleasure" over a sincere mumbled "no problem" any day.

I'm happy to say my nephew Robert was the first responder and one of the few that answered the question in full.  He said, "Cookout is my favorite fast food restaurant, because they have good bbq, burgers, and shakes. Least favorite would be McDonald's, I don't think I have to state why."

Cookout is a relatively new restaraunt and their hamburgers are very good. You also get a lot for your money. Which is probably the reason they seem to be around college towns.  The first time I heard of Cookout is when my son was in school at Georgia Southern University (School Motto:  "It is Five O'Clock somewhere")

My Son:  "Dad, there's a great place in Statesboro called Cookout."
Me:  "Why aren't you studying?"
My Son:  "I've graduated."

Scott Hardesty, who is one of the funniest people of Facebook said, "What-A-Burger (or as it's pronounced in Texas, "Waterburger") I always get a triple meat and cheese on a heart-healthy wheat bun."

 

I knew as soon as I posted my question, one of my Texas friends would mention Whataburger.  There is one Whataburger in Georgia. Thomasville.  Forty billion people in Atlanta and you put your only restaurant in the state in Thomasville, which is the second largest city in Southwest Georiga with a population of 18,515.  

As a heads up to the Cathy family, Randy "Tater" McArthur says this about Whataburger's breakfast menu: "The "Waterburger" chicken biscuit with honey butter melted on it is to die for. Just don't try to eat them driving. Will make you forget Chick fi la's name"  

 You ought to pay attention to Randy "Tater" McArthur when it comes to driving. He once drove a Chevelle halfway up "The Sky Slide", which was a big blue slide we had in Marietta, Georgia in the 60's.  Randy "Tater" McArthur will not confirm if alcohol was a factor in deciding to drive a Chevelle halfway up The Sky Slide.

Another not-in-Georgia restaurant is In-N-Out.  It must be something because I see people wearing their t-shirts all of the time. I hear people talking all of the time that it is the greatest hamburger of all time. The nearest In-N-Out is in Texas.  Does that seem fair to you? 

The fabulous John Spiller wrote: "What about the V? Cause we all need a dose of vitamin G! Better than most laxatives". Spiller (or as his friends call him, "Spiller") is talking about The Varsity, which now has several locations in the Atlanta area. The mother ship is in Upper Mid-Town Atlanta across the Interstate from Georgia Tech.

The "vitamin G" he mentions is grease, which all Varsity "o-rings" are drenched in. Besides being called "The V", The Varsity is also referred to as "The Greasy V".

All of this grease does terrible things to the insides of your tummy  I do not recommend long car trips (i.e.: any car trip longer than three miles from your favorite toilet) after eating at The Varsity.  I can confirm, however, that physicians are not using a Varsity Chili Dog and Onion Rings as a prep to clean patients out for a colonscopy.  At least not at the present time.  

Another friend, Jim "No Relation To Paul) McCartney mentions two Boston area fast food restaurants I had never heard of before:  Clover and BGood. As a part of my commitment to journalism, I took it upon myself to research these two restaurants.  In other words, I looked up their menus on Google.

BGood looks like a restaurant I would go into.  They serve "craft burgers" (what this means, I don't know, but I assume it is good for you). Their website says, "We want our food to be the roots that connect community and inspire goodness".  I must admit it is classier than the Varsity website which says, "We want our food to go through you very, very fast".

Clover is a true healthy fast food restaurant. They serve something called BBQ Seitan.  I have never heard of Seitan, much less BBQ Seitan.  Jim provided me with some information.  "Seitan is made when wheat flour dough is washed with water until all the starch is removed, leaving just insoluble gluten. This gluten is then cooked  and used as a meat substitute.  Yum.  You can get it with a side order of french fries with Rosemary. ($4.91)

It is not a place where you can order a Diablo sammich with a Dr. Pepper.


Next Week:  Can I squeeze out another blog post on this topic?